Feathered Serpent
/ˈfɛðərd ˈsɜːrpənt/noun
A serpent depicted with feathers, especially the Mesoamerican deity known as Quetzalcoatl or Kukulkan.
Did you know?Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec Feathered Serpent, combined the crawling serpent with the sky-bound quetzal bird—an emblematic union of earth and heaven rather than a simple winged snake.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peth₂-
“To fly or rush through the air; a proposed ancestor of the root behind feather.”
Old English
Old English
feþer
“A feather or plumage; the covering of a bird.”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*serp-
“To crawl or creep, the ancient root associated with serpent words.”
Old French
Old French
serpent
“A snake; borrowed from Latin serpēns.”
16th Century
English
feathered serpent
“An English description of a serpent represented with feathers, later used prominently for Mesoamerican religious figures.”
Modern English
English
Feathered Serpent
“A conventional translation of Mesoamerican divine figures such as Nahuatl Quetzalcōātl and Maya K’uk’ulkan.”